[MIM comments: Forestry and lumber practices were the subjects of several articles that the Chinese
Communist Party published in its top ideology publication--Red Flag--in 1960, 1961 and
later. These articles do not put the matter of forestry as a matter of preserving species, but most of the
other concepts of contemporary environmentalism are to be found in these articles from Mao's China.
Crucially, the Chinese explained why capitalism was incompatible with sustainable forestry. To fight
their way out of the miserable forest situation the old capitalist China had left, the Maoists organized
mass campaigns to plant trees.

Already back then, the Maoists explained why socialism is superior to capitalism when it comes to the
environment. Compared with governments conducting timber operations and timber companies, the
Maoist government was far ahead of its time in its conduct toward forests This would remain true until
the Communist Party of China went for capitalism in 1976.]

Red Flag, No. 23, 1 December 1961

"Energetically Unfold Forest Regeneration Work, Make Rational Use of the Forest Resources"

Forests are the important resources of a nation, and forest industry is one of the industrial departments
furnishing basic raw materials and semi-finished products. Forest industry is required to provide an
abundance of timber for national construction and meeting the production and livelihood needs of the
masses of the people. Capable of conserving water and soil, serving as windbreaks, giving protection to
embankments and conditioning the climate, forests are closely related with the development of
agriculture. To increase the acreage and to preserve the environment of forests constitutes a
fundamental measure for guarding against such natural calamities as floods, drought, and wind and
sandstorms and for guaranteeing bumper agricultural harvests.

China has not much forest resources. During the twelve years since the founding of the People's
Republic, thanks to the efforts of the workers of the forestry departments and enterprises, the
unfolding of mass campaigns for tree planting and afforestation, and especially the further development
of the collective forestation undertakings under the leadership of the people's communes and
production brigades since the universal establishment of people's communes, the forest acreage in
China has increased considerably. During the period in question, nearly three million hectares of forests
were felled to yield nearly 300 million cubic meters of timber, and the needs of society were thus met
in the main. All these achievements are most conspicuous.

With China making further headway in socialist construction, there will be a bigger demand for timber
in industry, in the countryside and in the market. In accordance with the guiding principle of combining
lumbering with nursing, the forestry departments at all levels are thus required on the one hand to
strengthen forest regeneration work, to restore and develop at a fast rate the original acreage of
forests, and to increase further the yield of forest resources. On the other hand, they are required to
carry out lumbering rationally, to devise all ways and means to effect the economical consumption of
timber, to raise the yield and commodity ratio of timber, and to make rational use of the existing forest
resources to the full extent.

In order to insure the perpetual utilization of forest resources, and in order to develop fully the
protective role of forests in the conservation of water and soil and the conditioning of climate, thus
bringing about bumper agricultural crops, it is necessary to intensify forestation and nursing work
further and to speed up the regeneration of forests. Before liberation, the reactionary ruling class
carried out lumbering without regeneration, and much of the precious forest resources in China was
thus destroyed. After liberation, under the guiding principle of combining lumbering with nursing as laid
down by the Central Government, forest regeneration work began to take the normal course in China.
During the three years of big leap forward, in order to meet the demand due to the rapid development
of the national economy, a much bigger quantity of timber was felled, and regeneration was carried out
at an even faster rate. During these three years, the acreage regenerated amounted to three times the
total acreage regenerated in the previous eight years.

In order to make the regeneration of forests keep pace with the rate of lumbering in entirety and in
order to expand the forest resources of China continuously, it is necessary to go on implement the
guideline of combining lumbering with nursing. Trees must be grown as they are felled, and the forests
cut in one year must be regenerated in the following year. The old lumbering sites must also be
regenerated gradually. At the same time, on land suitable for the growing of forests, the masses should
be extensively mobilized to combine agricultural work with forestation work, and to take up forestation
work energetically.

In forest regeneration work it is necessary to depend upon the masses, and professional management
must be closely combined with mass campaigns. In the major forest zones owned by the state, the
regeneration and nursing and management of forests at the lumbering sites and the growing of new
forests are in the main borne by professional forestation organizations and professional forest
regeneration teams. The continued establishment, consolidation and reinforcement of the professional
regeneration teams and the energetic fostering of technical forces for forestation are the determining
conditions which guarantee the smooth progress of regeneration and forestation work in the
state-owned forest regions. But during the forestation season, it is also necessary to mobilize the
masses to carry out forestation and regeneration work extensively on the principle that the quality of
work is guaranteed.

Under the guidance of professional forestation organizations, the establishment of forestation villages,
or the signing of contracts with people's communes thus entrusting forest regeneration and nursing
work in specific areas to the masses, is also a good way to depend on the masses to carry out
forestation and regeneration work. In the case of scattered forest areas of small size or barren hills,
waste land and river banks which are fit for afforestation, the people's communes and production
brigades should mainly be depended upon to organize the masses of the commune members to carry
out forest regeneration, tree growing and forestation work.

In accordance with the guiding principle of taking up diversified undertakings, the people's communes
and production brigades should carry out forestation and forest nursing work in conjunction with
agricultural production. Through adopting the methods of sealing off the mountains for nursing forests,
taking up forestation work energetically, and growing grain in the forests, they should accelerate the
regeneration and rehabilitation of the original forests, and in accordance with the local conditions,
develop timber forests, protective forests, oil-bearing forests, and fruit forests. They can thus derive
yield from their forestry undertakings to boost their income, and can also extend the acreage of forests
to guard against floods and drought and to bring about a bumper agricultural harvest.

The extensive mobilization of the masses of the commune members to grow trees in front and at the
back of their villages and houses, by the side of roads, rivers and ponds, on land retained for personal
use and in graveyards is also of positive significance toward the increase of forest resources. A family
or household may not be able to grow many trees, but if all households take up tree growing and
forestation work, they constitute a powerful force. With the activism of the masses of the commune
members of the people's communes and production brigades in forestation fully aroused, the natural
features of the broad countryside in China will take on a new look, and firewood for the countryside
and timber for building construction and making farm implements can also be solved locally.

Consequently, the combination of the strength of the state, the collectives and the masses to launch
mass campaigns to grow trees, afforest and regenerate forests under the guidance of professional
organizations is the fundamental measure for the combination of lumbering with nursing and increasing
the forest resources.

In order to persist in the guiding principle of combining lumbering with nursing and giving more weight
to nursing than lumbering, it is necessary to accommodate the method of lumbering with the method of
regeneration. The method of lumbering chosen must be favorable to the production and rational
management of of timber as well as the regeneration of forests and water and soil conservancy. The
timber yield from clear cutting must be greater and the cost must be lower. Moreover, the method must
be favorable to artificial regeneration. In order to meet the daily growing demand for timber for
national construction, where the supply of investment and labor is adequate, and the topography and
types of forests are suitable for the purpose, it is befitting to make more use of clear cutting and to
carry out artificial regeneration at once after felling.

However, as the acreage of forests felled in China every year is very large, it is not possible to depend
on artificial reproduction entirely. In order to enable regeneration work to match pace with felling, thus
avoiding the loss of water and soil, selective felling or other appropriate methods of felling should be
adopted in a considerable part of the forests to enable natural regeneration or natural regeneration
aided with artificial means to take its course. At the same time, in the forest regions, there are bound to
be some areas which are not fit for artificial reproduction and in which natural regeneration should be
allowed to take its course. There the method of selective felling must be adopted to make way for
natural regeneration. Therefore, the kind of felling and regeneration method should be determined
according to the conditions of the place with due consideration given to various factors. It is not
possible to lay emphasis on one method with all other methods rejected in entirety.

According to the specific circumstances in China, the method of regeneration must be in accord with
the manpower, the material resources, the soil, the climate, communications, and other conditions. It
must implement the guiding principle of "walking on two legs," namely, the combination of natural
regeneration aided with artificial means and natural regeneration, with chief emphasis given to artificial
regeneration.

Rapid growth, high yield and good species constitute the characteristics of artificial regeneration.
Taking the forest regions in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia for illustration, the artificial forests
can be thinned to yield wood in 15 or 20 years, to yield such important crude timber as pit props and
telegraph posts 30 or 40 years, and to yield crude timber of big diameter in 50 or 60 or 70 or 80 years.
If the artificial forests are well managed, they can yield on the average 300 to 500 cubic meters of
wood per hectare and even more. This rate of yield is much higher than the natural forests. In
accordance with the requirements of national construction and with due considerations given to the
natural conditions, the artificial forests can also arrange the ratio of tree species rationally, and valuable
and fast-growing tree species can be grown in a planned manner. Apart from carrying out artificial
regeneration at the lumbering sites, the growing of new forests in localities which have no or little
forests is also of positive significance toward increasing forest resources and developing the protective
role of the forests.

Artificial regeneration differs naturally in standard. It may be of ordinary or high standard. More
investment and labor power should be used in the growing of bumper harvest forests in places where
the land is fertile, the topsoil is thicker, the gradient is suitable, and there are convenient means of
communication.

In order to make regeneration more efficient and to shake free from the passive phenomenon
characterized by the non-conformity of machine cutting with artificial planting, regeneration machines
suitable for local use should be trial-produced according to the specific circumstances.

Simultaneous with artificial regeneration, different methods should be adopted to advance natural
regeneration. This is favorable to the rehabilitation of forest environments and also to the concentration
of strength for fighting a battle of annihilation, and is most suitable for carrying out artificial
regeneration in places fit for tree growing. Moreover, in a considerable part of the lumbering sites like
the ridges, the steep slopes, the marshland, the dry sun-facing slopes and the localities where the topsoil
is too thin, only a light degree of selective felling can be adopted to enable natural regeneration to take
its course.

Natural regeneration must also be promoted as far as possible with artificial means. The method of
artificial promotion may take a variety of forms, including land leveling, setting fire to the slash, and
carryout of supplementary planting in conjunction with nursing and management. A variety of
experiments should be carried out to sum up the most suitable promotion methods for adoption in
different localities, on slopes facing different directions and with different gradients, and for different
species of trees.

Of course, natural regeneration cannot and should not be as strict as artificial regeneration in the
selection of tree species. Red pine, deciduous pine, and needle-leafed trees are, of course, very good.
Poplar, birch and other broad-leafed trees also yield very good timber for production and marketing.

No matter which method of felling and regeneration is adopted, everything possible must be done to
safeguard the young trees. As far as artificial regeneration is concerned, the preservation of
well-grown young trees makes it possible to grow less saplings and to save labor power. Moreover,
they can provide natural saplings for transplanting. As far as natural regeneration is concerned, the
number of young trees regenerated before felling is an important mark of the success or failure of
natural regeneration.

No matter which method of regeneration is adopted, it is necessary to pay great attention to the quality
of regeneration, to strengthen the nursing and care of young trees, and to insure the formation of
forests. The erroneous method which goes one-sidedly after quantity but pays little attention to the
quality of regeneration, which attends only to planting but does not care whether the trees survive or
not, and which pays attention only to regeneration but not to nursing should be opposed with firmness.

The intensification of the nursing and care of secondary forests is a problem which should receive
great attention in China's forestation work. Natural secondary forests are very widely distributed in
China and cover a wide area. Taking the forest regions in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia which
are the largest forest regions in China for illustration, the areas presently covered by natural secondary
forests amount nearly to half of the total acreage of the forests in these regions. The majority of these
secondary forests are new forest and small and large saplings grown after destructive lumbering was
carried out on a large scale under the rule of Japanese imperialism and the Kuomintang. [Japan held
China as a semi-colony till its defeat in World War II and the Kuomintang was the landlord party of
China--MIM ed.] Some of them are forests of small and large saplings which are naturally regenerated
on land devastated by forest fire, or grow on barren hills and waste land. Most of them are mixed
forests dominated by broad-leafed trees. They are distributed in localities with better means of
communication, level land and soil of better quality. They are the important reserve forest resources of
the nation. These natural secondary forests should be investigated, studied and surveyed. Overall plans
should be drawn up and business management organizations should be established. As an alternative,
they should be turned over to the people's communes and placed under the conscientious business
management. The different forest bureaus and farms which are presently in operation should also
intensify the nursing and care of the secondary forests among the forest areas under their
administration. Given nursing and care, the secondary forests can yield timber ahead of schedule. This
is a matter of great significance to the accumulation of forest resources in China. At the same time, in
the course of nursing and lumbering, they can also yield part of the timber to meet the needs of the
state and the masses of the people.

The planting of forests for special purposes is a new line of business in forestation work in China. The
establishment of forest farms for special purposes on barren mountains and waste land in the
neighborhood of mines, paper mills and fiber plants, the reservation of forests in the neighborhood of
factories and mines for special purposes or the growing of timber trees for making sleepers and
telegraph poles along the railway lines is able to provide the factories, mines and railways with the
materials needed and to reduce the volume of transportation, and should be popularized energetically.

With the guiding principle of combining lumbering with nursing correctly implemented, with the guiding
principle of carrying out artificial regeneration and natural regeneration together with chief emphasis
given to artificial regeneration put into force, with the guiding principle of marrying professional
management to mass campaigns brought into effect, with nursing and forestation work intensified, and
with the people's communes, production brigades and commune members throughout the country
mobilized to carry out tree planting and forestation work extensively, the forest regeneration work in
China will make further headway, and there will be a gradual increase in forest resources in China. In
this way it is possible to go another step forward in meeting the demand of society for timber and to
develop fully the role of forests in bringing about a bumper harvest in agriculture.

With the demand of society growing continuously, simultaneously with increasing the present yield of
forest resources, it is necessary to make continued efforts in effecting the economic consumption of
timber, in raising the timber output and the ratio of timber for use as commodity, and in making rational
use of the presently available forest resources to the full extent.

On the basis of insisting on rational lumbering in the lumbering districts, the hauling of large logs down
the mountains to meet the needs of national construction and the hauling of smaller logs down  the
mountain also to meet the needs of the countryside and the market constitute two important aspects
pertinent to the utilization of forest resources to the full extent.

In the course of building socialism in China, it is necessary to have dimension-timber for building
factory premises, sleepers and telegraph poles for building railroads, and pit props for operating coal
pits. All these are primary logs of greater diameters cut from forests taking several hundred years to
grow. In the case of artificial forests, it takes them several decades and even over a century to yield
primary wood on the plateau and frigid highland, and the time taken is also as long as thirty or forty
years south of the Great Wall. The forest workers must, therefore, take great care of the forest
resources. They must adopt all reasonable measures and devise all ways and means to raise the
production rate of labor, the yield of timber from the primary logs and the ratio of timber for use as
commodity. They must strive to extract as much of primary wood as possible from every hectare of
nature and over-mature forests to meet the daily growing demand of national construction.

The needs of society are diversified. It needs primary logs of bigger diameters as well as a variety of
timber of smaller sizes. The countryside in our country consumes a good deal of timber. Taking the
timber needed for making carts, plow handles, carrying poles, stove handles, sickle handles, hoe
handles and other farm implements for illustration, several hundred thousand and up to a million cubic
meters of small-size timber are required every year in the whole country. An abundance of small
dimension-timber of different kinds like rafter and cross-beams is also required for building houses in
the countryside. The 650,000,000 people cannot be divorced from timber in day-to-day life. Much
timber is also needed for making minor household goods, rolling pins, laundry boards, pot covers and
chopping boards, and much firewood is consumed in many households every day. If not enough
attention is paid to the production and supply of small-size timber for which there is much demand in
the countryside and the market, agricultural production will be affected, the city dwellers and the rural
inhabitants will find it inconvenient, and the irrational phenomenon of "making misuse of big timber" will
result.

In view of this, in conjunction with producing primary logs, nursing the forests and developing, utilizing,
nursing and taking care of the natural secondary forests, we must also do everything possible to bring
small pieces of wood from the mountains to meet the demand of the countryside and the market. This
is an important matter of concern to millions of people. It is also an important economic measure for
putting the forest resources to full use and making economic consumption of primary wood.

After liberation, under the leadership of the Central Committee and the Party committees of the
different places, the forestry departments fundamentally changed the practice of destructive lumbering
which the forests were subject to under the rule of Japanese imperialism and the Kuomintang. The
broad masses of the forest workers were depended upon to reform the enterprises fundamentally, and
a series of rational regulations, systems and technical rules were formulated for making more rational
utilization of the forest resources.

However, because management work was unable to cope with the demand of production for
development, these good regulations, systems and technical rules were not implemented in entirety.
Some of them were carried out for a time, but the hold on them was soon relaxed. As a result, there
still exist many phenomena involving waste of resources. For example, cutting is done above the
stipulated height above the roots, the conversion process is not reasonable in every way, and much
timber is lost in collecting, loading and unloading, transportation and other production links. In the
production of timber of petty standards in particular, although this has received some attention in some
places in the forest regions, yet it has not aroused universal attention. All these phenomena of loss and
waste must be rectified in real earnest so that the forest resources may be utilized to a fuller extent.

In order to rectify the phenomena of loss and waste in the production of timber, timber of both large
and small sizes must be brought down from the mountains. The forest workers must be taught
extensively and thoroughly to utilize the forest resources to the full extent and to acquire the
self-consciousness of taking good care of the forest resources. Every worker must be made to
understand that several ten million cubic meters of primary timber are required every year for national
construction, that several million cubic meters of timber of petty standards are required every year to
meet the demand of the countryside and the market, and that the meeting of the needs for national
construction and the different requirements of the masses of the people is the duty and glorious task of
all forest workers. Provided each of our forest workers carries out his duty conscientiously, keeps a
careful watch on everything, carries out lumbering in strict accordance with the designs of his
lumbering district, implements the different regulations, systems, technical rules, and operational rules in
real earnest, reduces breakage in different links of production as far as possible, and sees to it that no
timber is lost or wasted and that every cubic meter of timber is sent down form the mountains, the
timber yield and the ratio of timber for use as commodity can be raised to a great extent, more primary
timber and timber of petty standards can be produced, and the requirements of the diverse quarters of
society can be better met.

The conscientious implementation of the rational regulations and systems is an important guarantee for
our firm adherence to rational lumbering and raising the timber yield and the ratio of timber for use as
commodity. During the twelve years since the founding of the people's republic, especially during the
three years of big leap forward, the forestry departments and enterprises at different levels have, in the
process of summing their rich experience acquired in the practice of production and the mass
campaigns, gradually grasped some laws pertinent to forest production. They have preliminarily
established a set of rational regulations and systems, like the system of holding the bureau directors
responsible under the leadership of Party committees, the system of requiring the cadres to participate
in labor and the workers to participate in management, the system of handing over and inspection in the
lumbering districts, the technological designing system in the lumbering districts, the examination system
for admitting products into warehouses, the yardstick system, and the different technical responsibility
systems. These rational regulations and system lay down the responsibility for different quarters in the
production of timber, and play the role of making the different departments and work processes work
for the conditioning and advancement of each other. They must be made more perfect in the process
of summing up experience continuously in the practice of production in the future.

With these rational regulations and systems conscientiously implemented, production can be carried out
rhythmically. Every work process and every kind of work are placed under the charge of special
personnel. The timber of large and small sizes in the lumbering districts which can and should be felled
can thus be felled in entirety, and all the timber felled can be brought down the mountains to alleviate
and even eliminate completely the phenomenon of waste, thus raising the timber yield and increasing
the ratio of timber for use as a commodity.

The raising of the degree of mechanization in timber production is a problem of key importance to
raising the production rate of labor in timber production and increasing the ratio of timber for use as
commodity. Timber production involves heavy manual labor and great labor intensity, and take up a lot
of labor power. Under the circumstances, that the relative weight of manual labor is too heavy, in
collecting, loading and unloading, transportation and other production links, some logs which are difficult
to handle are liable to get lost or wasted, and the resources are therefore not utilized to the full extent.
Cases of this kind are especially prone to occur when the tasks are urgent.

With the demand for timber for national construction growing every day, the task of timber production
is bound to grow heavier gradually. In our socialist enterprises the chief way to increase production is
to raise the production rate of labor and the utilization rate of resources, and to increase production
without taking on more personnel. As a consequence, it is necessary to raise the degree of
mechanization in timber production.

The chief kinds of equipment needed for timber production are oil saws in the field of felling, tractors
and capstans in the field of collecting, loading and unloading, and trucks, and engines and platform cars
for forest-railroads in the field of timber transportation. Apart from this, miniature power plants,
equipment for conducting checkups and repairs, and equipment for road construction are also required.
These kinds of equipment can all be made in China at the moment. There are therefore conditions for
replenishing equipment continuously in these fields, and intensifying the maintenance, checkup and
repairs of these kinds of equipment for the purpose of developing their production capacity to the full
extent and raising further the degree of mechanization for timber production in China.

Simultaneous with raising the degree of mechanization, it is also necessary to go on unfolding mass
campaigns for technical innovation and technical revolution with thoroughness, to make full utilization of
such natural conditions as weather, topography, ice, snow and water, to popularize all kinds of new
tools according to the conditions of the place and time, and to develop energetically semi-mechanical
operations to make up the shortage of machines at the moment.

The correct implementation of the wage policy of distribution according to work and more income for
more work and the sensible improvement of the living conditions of the workers in the forest regions
are of great significance toward encouraging the forest workers to make full utilization of the forest
resources and developing the activism of the workers in production. Wages represent the main form of
distribution. The distribution relationship is an important aspect of production relationships. The proper
handling of production relations will lead to the development of production; conversely the development
of production will be hampered. Most of the major forest regions in China are distributed in areas
which are far-lying and remote. Life is harder there. At the same time timber production is a
mountainous undertaking and involves great labor intensity. Because of this, the forest workers are
paid higher wages by the state. In accordance with the characteristics of forest production the forestry
departments at all levels must study the wage policy in earnest to see that wages are reasonably
distributed so as to arouse the activism of the workers in production to the full extent.

Quotas constitute the basis of wages. No matter whether the work is paid wages on piecework basis
or on hourly basis, reasonable labor quotas should be set according to the level of technical equipment,
the good or bad conditions of work, and the amount of labor demanded. For example, in all work
processes including cutting, collecting, loading and unloading, and transportation, more labor is
expended in the production of timber of petty standards compared with the production of primary
timber. Because of this, the labor quotas for all kinds of work relating to the production of timber of
petty standards should be lower than those connected with the production of primary timber.
Otherwise, the activism of workers engaged in the production of timber of petty standards will be
affected, and the resources fit for the production of timber of petty standards cannot be utilized to the
full extent.

Again, in the production of primary timber, reasonable quotas should be set according to whether the
cutting work is difficult or easy, whether the work site lies close by or far away, and whether the work
conditions are good or bad. If the quotas set are unreasonable, and the workers are unable to
accomplish the quotas after making due efforts, then they will pick only the trees which yield more
timber for fellings, collect only the timber which lies nearby and on good terrains, and cart away only
the timber which lies close together and is easy to load. The trees which yield less timber and take
more effort to fell, and the logs which are too large or too small and are inconvenient to collect and to
cart away are left on the mountains.

A system of allowances for the forest regions is laid down by the state according to how hard the work
is in these regions. Allowances for forest regions should also be reasonably distributed. If the workers
of the work sections playing a direct part in production and the workers carrying out fieldwork in the
forest regions are paid allowances at a higher rate, this will play a beneficial role in arousing the
activism of the workers in labor production. Apart from this, in order to arouse the activism of the
veteran workers and to develop their hardcore role in production, a way to give them reasonable
encouragement should be devised.

A more liberal supply of means of subsistence is always provided by the state for the forest regions.
Although the country has suffered from severe natural calamities for three years in succession, and
temporary difficulties are encountered in agriculture and also in light industrial production which
depends on farm produce for its raw materials, the workers in the forest regions are still adequately
supplied by the state. The forest departments at all levels should conscientiously hold themselves
responsible for the rational distribution of these commodities.

The proper adjustment of the price of primary timber and timber of petty standards has an important
role to play in bringing down timber of large and small sizes from the mountains. It take more labor to
produce timber of petty standards compared with the production of primary timber. As the production
rate of labor is low and the cost is high, provided the wage quotas are set at a reasonable rate, the
purchase price for timber of petty standards is bound to be higher than that of primary timber.
Otherwise, the activism for the production of timber of petty standards in the forest farms will suffer.
At the time of marketing, however, consideration must be given to the size and quality of the timber.
Timber of petty standards should be sold at a price lower than that of primary timber. In this way
misuse of primary timber will not occur, and the forest resources will be utilized rationally.

The forestry enterprises are thus required to do everything possible to reduce the production cost of
timber of petty standards on the condition that the income of the workers from wages is not lowered
and to make less profit from the production of timber of petty standards. The state should give all
possible assistance to the enterprises engaged in the production of timber of petty standards. On the
other hand, the state may properly adjust the selling price of primary timber, and make more from
marketing same. The enterprises may also make more profit from the production of primary timber.
With a reasonable price for primary timber and timber of petty standards thus set, the workers and
enterprises will be willing to take up the production of primary timber as well as timber of petty
standards. The activism of all quarters will thus be aroused, and timber of both large and small sizes
will be brought down from the mountains.

It is reasonable to make more profit from the big logs. The production of timber is different from other
forms of production. The trees in the mountains take several decades and even more than a century to
yield primary timber, while the farm crops can be harvested at least once a year. As to the ordinary
industrial products, the cycle of production is even shorter. By making more profit out of the production
of primary timber, the state may make use of the money gained to build railroads and houses, to buy
machines, and to develop national construction (including forestry construction). At the same time, the
forest regeneration surcharge added to the cost of primary timber may be increased appropriately.
More forests can thus be planted for increasing the yield capacity of the forest resources.

The planned utilization of timber for production and livelihood in the forest regions constitutes an
important problem in the rational utilization of forest resources. The forestry enterprises have to
consume part of the timber for production and for local construction in the forest regions. The several
million people in the forest regions have to consume some timber for cooking and heating purposes.
However, if the use is not controlled in a planned manner according to the quota of consumption and
the species of timber, and wood is cut and removed from the mountains whenever there is a need for
same, wanton cutting and waste of timber will inevitably result. In view of this the timber needed by
these enterprises for production and local construction must, be incorporated into plans, and the use of
same must be subject to approval. This is an important measure which must be adopted for protecting
the forest resources of the nation.

A huge amount of firewood is consumed in the forest regions and this problem should be properly
solved according to the specific conditions. For example, dry wood must be cut in a planned manner to
yield part of the firewood. In the process of lumbering and processing, the twigs and wood waste
which cannot be utilized should be handed over to the workers and inhabitants for use as firewood. The
family dependents of the workers and the inhabitants should be organized to cut and gather shrubs and
rushes, thus saving some good timber. Some forest land should be allotted to the people's communes to
provide them with firewood and charcoal. This is also a measure for guarding again wanton cutting in
the forests. When circumstances permit, coal should be supplied for use as fuel. It pays to take this
course as considerable timber is thus saved. In order to guard against the burning of good wood, a
reasonable price should be set for firewood. The price of good wood should be set higher while the
price of branches and twigs and wood waste should be set lower.

Apart from taking different steps to reduce the consumption and increase the production of timber in all
fields, the all-round utilization of timber and the planned development of industries for the manufacture
of synthetic boards and chemical industries for processing forest products also constitute an important
aspect for the full utilization of forest resources. The pressing of primary wood into laminated wood
and compression wood raises its economic value greatly, and changes the original physical
performance. Many high-grade raw materials and semi-finished products can thus be made for the
important departments of industry. The parts left unused when timber is produced and processed, like
wood refuse, bark, and saw dust, may be used as raw materials for making fiber boards or extracting
glue and alcohol, and rosin can also be extracted from the roots of pine trees. The value of utilization
will also be greatly raised.

The all-round utilization of timber should, therefore, be developed gradually on a long-term basis. The
all-round utilization of timber has, of course, some problems which must be solved in the field of
investment and technology. It must be developed in a planned and methodical manner on the basis of
current conditions and strength.

Forest regeneration and utilization of resources are two problems of a fundamental nature in China's
forestry work. The two are also interconnected. By way of persisting in the principle of rational
lumbering, of making economic consumption of timber with all ways and means, and of utilizing the
forest resources to the full extent, it is possible not only to meet better the needs of national
construction and the mounting production and livelihood needs of the masses of the people, but also to
make economic use of the forest resources, to reduce the lumbering acreage, and to maintain a proper
ratio between forest regeneration and forest felling.

The intensification of forest regeneration work and the rehabilitation and development of forest
acreage constitute important measures that must be adopted for guarding against natural calamities and
bringing about bumper agricultural harvests. They are also fundamental measures for increasing the
yield of resources, for smoothly carrying out organization of timber production by rotation, and for
guaranteeing long-term management and perpetual utilization of forests. Use of this, the proper
handling of the problems of regeneration of forests and utilization of resources constitutes a serious
task for forestry work in China.

The development of forestry is the long-range business of the business of the nation. The success or
failure of forestry work has not only a bearing on the present national economy and the livelihood of
the masses, but also a far-reaching effect on our posterity. Under the correct leadership of the Party
and under the superior socialist system, as long as we depend on the masses of the people in the whole
country for support, all conditions stand in our favor for the transformation of nature and development
of forestry and the forest resources in China will increase greatly in not too long a time to bring
blessing to society and the people.

You are viewing proxied material from infinitelyremote.com. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.